Aiming to bolster the country’s EV ecosystem, Hop Electric Mobility has launched an integrated network of battery charging-cum-swapping stations. Called Hop Energy Network, this new initiative is designed to reduce the consumers’ range anxiety concerns. Consumers can either charge a Hop electric scooter at home or swap to a fully charged battery, when outside in less than 30 seconds.
The company started its pilot network in Jaipur earlier this year with five swapping stations and 50 batteries. In the past six months, the company claims to have already swapped over 2,000 batteries, adding 140,000+ clean kilometres.
Ketan Mehta, CEO and Founder, HOP Electric Mobility said its charging stations are equipped with cutting-edge technology, which would save customers both time and money. The company intends to set-up new-age charging-cum-swapping stations at existing petrol pumps, malls, parking lots and general stores.
The battery swapping-cum-charging stations, in fact, are fully automated and capable of churning out over 150 fully charged batteries on a daily basis. Equipped with NFC (near-field communication) and a 15-inch HMI touch screen, these stations are designed for easy self-use and round the clock operations.
The subscription programme launched by the company offers customers distinct benefits, including no hassle of owning batteries, up to 40% lesser upfront cost, access to the latest battery technologies and a lifetime warranty on their batteries.
In this way, owning electric scooters will become cost-effective, time-effective, and more convenient than ever before. The monthly battery plan of INR 2,500 per month allows unlimited battery swaps at any station, while the second option is a pay as you go service, where consumers use the service at INR 1/km only for the kilometres they ride.
After Jaipur, the company aspires to expand their charging stations network across India, starting with Tier I cities like Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurugram and Noida.